I don’t quite know how I managed to go 40 years of life without ever having read this book by Astrid Lindgren. I’ve long known the name, but I had always in my mind relegated this girl to my shelf of “Not Interested,” alongside Mary Poppins, Heidi, and The Babysitters’ Club. I thought she was the main character of some girly book that a strong boy like me would have no interest in.
Boy, was I wrong! Pippi Longstocking is a treasure for all ages (and both genders), and I’m glad I finally stumbled upon her, even if I am 4 decades too late.
This young girl, Pippi, has a curious background of having grown up on the sea with her sea-faring dad, though she is now kind-of-sort-of-orphaned (except she knows that, even though her dad was shipwrecked, he probably definitely survived and is now king of the cannibals on some island somewhere). So now she lives alone, wealthy beyond belief, strong as a full-grown sailor, and street-smart with global experiences (even if she’s not smart with her letters and numbers).
Pippi’s lives with a horse and monkey, and her new home sits next door to a brother-and-sister duo, Tommy and Annika, who find Pippi both curiously strange but incredibly kind and funny. I’m pretty sure that’s how all readers find her too. The quirkiness that author Lindgren develops in this young girl’s life makes for some fabulously entertaining reading, and I found myself laughing out loud a few times as I read it to my kids (aged 10 and 12).
One interchange I just had to highlight comes from Chapter 4, “Pippi Goes to School.” Now, here’s a girl that has never been to school, isn’t great with numbers, and probably couldn’t recognize the letter “i.” She’s also not yet well-coached in the ways of respecting a teacher. I had to read this section twice, just to make sure I got it right. If you’ve never read the book before, this is the kind of flavor that awaits you:
“Pippi, can you tell me what seven and five are?” [the Teacher asked.]
Pippi, astonished and dismayed, looked at her and said, “Well, if you don’t know that yourself, you needn’t think I’m going to tell you.”
All the children stared in horror at Pippi, and the teacher explained that one couldn’t answer that way in school.
“I beg your pardon,” said Pippi contritely. “I didn’t know that. I won’t do it again.”
“No, let us hope not,” said the teacher. “And now I will tell you that seven and five are twelve.”
“See that!” said Pippi. “You knew it yourself. Why are you asking then?”
The teacher decided to act as if nothing unusual were happening and went on with her examination.
“Well now, Pippi, how much do you think eight and four are?”
“Oh, about sixty-seven,” hazarded Pippi.
“Of course not,” said the teacher. “Eight and four are twelve.”
“Well now, really, my dear little woman,” said Pippi, “that is carrying things too far. You just said that seven and five are twelve. There should be some rhyme and reason to things even in school. Furthermore, if you are so childishly interested in that foolishness, why don’t you sit down in a corner by yourself and do arithmetic and leave us alone so we can play tag?” (34-35)
I truly enjoyed this book, and I’m keeping my eyes out for three other books listed in my copy’s backmatter: Pippi Goes on Board, Pippi in the South Seas, and Pippi on the Run. She’s a weirdo for sure, and there are a few times you wonder where the responsible adults are (like when she fires off two pistols into her roof, and the children’s father comes over not to see what’s the matter but simply to tell his kids it’s time for bed), but that’s what makes this book a gem to read. It’s what should make this book still a favorite among students even today.
©2023 E.T.
Read more from Astrid Lindgren:
- Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (1950)
- Rasmus and the Vagabond by Astrid Lindgren (1956)
- Pippi Goes on Board by Astrid Lindgren (1957)
- Pippi in the South Seas by Astrid Lindgren (1959)
- Pippi on the Run by Astrid Lindgren (1971)